Initial Environmental Examination Project Number: 46044-003 Date: 22 June 2015 Document Status: Final Draft Samoa: Renewable Energy Development and Power Sector Rehabilitation project Fuluasou Small Hydropower Project Prepared by Electric Power Corporation of Samoa This report is a document of the Electric Power Corporation. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent those of ADB's Board of Directors, Management, or staff, and may be preliminary in nature. In preparing any country program or strategy, financing any project, or by making any designation of or reference to a particular territory or geographic area in this document, the Asian Development Bank does not intend to make any judgments as to the legal or other status of any territory or area. TABLE OF CONTENTS ABBREVIATIONS ................................................................................................................. iii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ....................................................................................................... iv 1. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................ 1 1.1. Background ................................................................................................................. 1 1.2. Report Purpose and Scope ......................................................................................... 1 1.3. Methodology ............................................................................................................... 2 2. PROJECT DESCRIPTION .......................................................................................... 5 3. INSTITUTIONAL, POLICY AND LEGAL FRAMEWORK ............................................. 9 3.1. Institutional Framework ............................................................................................... 9 3.2. Legal and Policy Framework ..................................................................................... 10 3.2.1. Environment Law and Regulations .................................................................. 10 3.2.2. Permits Required ............................................................................................ 11 3.2.3. Samoa Codes of Environmental Practice ........................................................ 12 3.2.4. Policy Framework ............................................................................................ 12 3.3. ADB Safeguard Policy Statement.............................................................................. 13 4. DESCRIPTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT ................................................................ 14 4.1. Overview of Physical Environment ............................................................................ 14 4.2. Overview of Biological Environment .......................................................................... 15 4.3. Overview of Socio-Economic Environment ................................................................ 17 4.4. Fuluasou SHP Site .................................................................................................... 20 4.4.1. Protected Areas .............................................................................................. 20 4.4.2. Catchment and Hydrology ............................................................................... 21 4.4.3. Fish and Aquatic Macroinvertebrates .............................................................. 22 4.4.4. Vegetation ....................................................................................................... 22 4.4.5. Avifauna .......................................................................................................... 27 4.4.6. Other Fauna .................................................................................................... 27 4.4.7. Presence of Critical Habitat ............................................................................. 29 5. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND MITIGATION MEASURES ............................... 31 5.1. Design Phase and Pre-Construction Impacts ............................................................ 31 5.1.1. Climate Change Adaptation ............................................................................. 31 5.1.2. Hydrology ........................................................................................................ 33 5.1.3. Biodiversity ...................................................................................................... 36 i 5.2. Construction Phase Impacts on the Physical Environment ......................................... 36 5.2.1. Air Quality ....................................................................................................... 36 5.2.2. Erosion ............................................................................................................ 37 5.2.3. Water Quality .................................................................................................. 38 5.2.4. Stockpile Management .................................................................................... 39 5.2.5. Waste Management ........................................................................................ 39 5.2.6. Hazardous Materials ....................................................................................... 40 5.3. Construction Phase Impacts on Biological Environment ............................................ 40 5.3.1. Vegetation ....................................................................................................... 40 5.3.2. Avifauna and other terrestrial fauna ................................................................. 42 5.3.3. Aquatic ecology ............................................................................................... 42 5.4. Construction Phase Impacts on Socio-Economic Environment ................................. 46 5.4.1 Noise and Vibration ......................................................................................... 46 5.4.2 Establishment of Site Office and Works Yard .................................................. 46 5.4.3 Traffic .............................................................................................................. 47 5.4.4 Worker Health and Safety ............................................................................... 48 5.4.5 Community Health and Safety ......................................................................... 49 5.4.6 Physical Cultural Resources ............................................................................ 49 5.5 Operational Impacts on Physical Environment .......................................................... 50 5.6 Operational Impacts on Biological Environment ........................................................ 50 5.7 Operational Impacts on Socio-Economic Environment .............................................. 51 6. CONSULTATION, PUBLIC INFORMATION AND DISCLOSURE ............................. 52 6.1. Consultation and Public Information .......................................................................... 52 6.2. Disclosure ................................................................................................................. 53 7. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN .............................................................. 54 7.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................... 54 7.2 Implementation of the EMP ....................................................................................... 55 7.3 Monitoring ................................................................................................................. 58 8 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ......................................................... 66 8.1 Project Benefits ......................................................................................................... 66 8.2 Conclusions .............................................................................................................. 66 REFERENCES ..................................................................................................................... 67 APPENDIX A: NESP: Key Environment Sector Objectives Relevant to the Project .............. 70 ii ABBREVIATIONS ADB Asian Development Bank CEAR Comprehensive Environmental Assessment Report CEMP Construction Environmental Management Plan COEP Code of Environmental Practice CPP Consultation and Participation Plan DEC Division of Environment and Conservation (of MNRE) EIA Environmental Impact Assessment EMP Environmental Management Plan ENSO El Niño Southern Oscillation EO Environment Officer EPC Electric Power Corporation EHSG Environmental Health and Safety Guidelines (World Bank) GOS Government of Samoa GRM Grievance Redress Mechanism HSP Health and Safety Plan IEE Initial Environmental Examination IES International Environmental Specialist IUCN International Union for the Conservation of Nature KBA Key biodiversity area MAF Mean Annual Flow MAF Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries MALF Mean Annual Low Flow MFAT Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (of New Zealand) MSMP Materials and Spoil Management Plan MNRE Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment MWTI Ministry of Works, Transport and Infrastructure NESP National Environment and Development Sector Plan 2013-2016 NWAP National Water Allocation Policy PEAR Preliminary Environmental Assessment Report PMC Project Management Consultant PMU Project Management